Wikipedia Gets Official iPhone App

Wikipedia has long been one of the primary reasons for owning mobile browser, especially for those who need to settle a lot of bets on the go. Wikimedia, the organization behind said reference site has finally launched Wikipedia's first official iPhone app.

Wikipedia has long been one of the primary reasons for owning a mobile browser, especially for those who need to settle a lot of bets on the go. Wikimedia, the organization behind said reference site has finally launched Wikipedia's first official iPhone app.

One would assume that such an app would be a mandatory download for all iPhone owners, but according to those who have played around with Wikipedia Mobile, there's really not that much point in the app's existence.

There are already a number of very good Wikipedia apps out there, including Taptu's Wapedia, Wikiamo and Wikipanion. The official Wikipedia app doesn't add anything new here.

Wikipedia, of course has its own mobile site, so there's really not much point in downloading an app that essentially does the same thing. That said, the Wikipedia Mobile site is free, so it couldn't hurt for interested parties to take it for a quick spin.

Brian Heater has worked at a number of tech pubs, including Engadget, Laptop, and PCMag (where he served as Senior Editor). Most recently, he was as the Managing Editor of TechTimes.com. His writing has appeared in Spin, Wired, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Onion, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast and various other publications. He hosts the weekly Boing Boing interview podcast RiYL, has appeared as a regular NPR contributor and shares his Queens apartment with a rabbit named Lucy.
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